


Holding Infinity

by liluwrites



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Banter, Friendship, Gen, Growing Up, Magic Trio (Hetalia), Nostalgia, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:35:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27528538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liluwrites/pseuds/liluwrites
Summary: There comes a moment, quite suddenly, when Lukas realises they are not children anymore.The moment should have come earlier, he thinks: when they were sitting exams and applying for college and interviewing for part-time jobs and learning to drive and slowly taking charge of their own lives – but all that passes by in a blur, and instead it comes here, sitting on the damp grass verge of a highway at midnight, looking up at the moon amongst the sprinkling of silver stars.In just a few weeks, everything will be different.
Relationships: England & Norway & Romania (Hetalia)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 22





	Holding Infinity

**Author's Note:**

> This is a somewhat belated entry for Magic Trio Week 2020, to fill the prompts; Nostalgia, Camping and Remember. I actually began this oneshot back in 2018, but I returned to finish it because I thought it would be a good fit for the theme week. I hope you enjoy!

There comes a moment, quite suddenly, when Lukas realises they are not children anymore.

The moment should have come earlier, he thinks: when they were sitting exams and applying for college and interviewing for part-time jobs and learning to drive and slowly taking charge of their own lives – but all that passes by in a blur, and instead it comes here, sitting on the damp grass verge of a highway at midnight, looking up at the moon amongst the sprinkling of silver stars.

In just a few weeks, everything will be different.

He can’t imagine what it will be like, to be at college at the other end of the country, unable to hang out with Arthur and Vlad whenever he wants to, or go on dates with Matthias, or give Emil a hug before he leaves for school in the mornings. He’s spent his entire life in this small town, and it’s impossible to think of a world outside of it.

That’s why they’ve come on this road trip. To see the world, just the three of them, before adulthood thrusts them in separate directions.

This is when he realises they are no longer children – when he realises they will have to be apart.

Soft footsteps brush through the grass towards him and settle at his side.

“Lukas?” Vlad says.

Lukas pats the ground beside him in invitation. “Hey.”

“Hey, what’re you doing out here on your own? You look like a creepy serial killer, y’know, the ones who sit at the side of the road and stick out a thumb at the cars that go past, until one of the drivers takes pity on them and gives them a ride, and no one in the car is seen ever again.”

God, he’s going to miss Vlad. “There hasn’t been a car in the past hour, Vlad. If I’m trying to be a serial killer, I’m doing a pretty shit job at it.”

Vlad’s brow furrows. “You’ve been out here for an hour?”

He shrugs. “It’s a nice night.”

“A nice night? It’s freezing! My butt is all wet from the cloud juice.”

Lukas bites down a smile. “You’ll live. The rain smells nice, anyway.”

“You’re easy to please. Who needs a college degree when you can just sit by the road getting high off wet grass?” 

He huffs a laugh, his heart sinking. _College_. “Yeah.”

“Who’s getting high?” Arthur steps out of the minivan, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Lukas glances up at him; his matching flannel pyjamas and tousled hair and glasses, softened in the haze of the streetlight. “Are you doing weed without me?”

“ _Doing_ weed. Oh, Arthur.” 

“Shut up.” Arthur drops onto the ground beside them, rips out a handful of grass and tosses it half-heartedly at Lukas’ chest. “It’s not like you’ve ever done that kind of stuff, either.”

“Speak for yourself,” Vlad says smugly.

Lukas rolls his eyes. “Snorting pixie dust in third grade doesn’t count, Vlad.”

“Fuck off, I’m way cooler than both of you, and you know it.”

“I’m sure you are.” Arthur tousles Vlad’s hair, voice dripping with sarcasm. Vlad pouts and sprawls himself across Lukas' lap.

“Lukas, he's being mean to me!”

“It's not just you, he's mean to everyone.”

“That's not true!” Arthur cries indignantly. “Lies! Slander!” He grabs Lukas into a playful headlock and tussles with him for a moment – then he relaxes, leaving his arm draped across Lukas' shoulders, and sighs. “I'm going to miss this,” he murmurs.

“What, us bullying you?” Vlad snorts; but from where his head rests on Lukas’ knee, his eyes are sad.

“Shut up, I mean all of it. Just…us being able to do stuff like this, and hang out together whenever we want, and buy each other ice cream when we’re sad, and…everything. We’ve always been together since we were kids, and now Lukas is moving across the country and I’m going back to England, and –“ His voice quavers, and he breaks off, scrubbing at his eyes. Lukas waits, heart clenched, until eventually he continues, “I just want us to stay like this forever.”

Vlad lets out a frustrated whine, tearing up in sympathy. “Why do you and Lukas have to go? I’m gonna be so lonely without you! You don’t even need to get educated, you should just stay here with me. No debts, no homework, no stress – and, best of all, you get to see me every. Single. Day.”

“Oh god, every day? We definitely need to go, Arthur,” Lukas says, smiling.

Vlad slaps him on the arm. “Stop it, we’re having a moment here. Let us be sad and nostalgic, and reminisce on the beautiful memories of time gone by.”

“Ah yes, beautiful memories, like the time you stuffed Arthur’s garlic bread in your mouth, knowing full well you were allergic, because it ‘smelled so good’, then went into anaphylactic shock on the cafeteria floor.”

“It did smell good,” he says defensively. “And it tasted good too, until my throat closed up.”

“Maybe we should stay,” Arthur says. His voice is still shaky, but his eyes are dry, and he has a small smile on his face. “This idiot clearly doesn’t know how to keep himself alive without us.”

Lukas glances down at Vlad, still sprawled in his lap. Vlad's eyes are bright, twinkling in the moonlight, his amber freckles faintly visible, his mouth pursed in that familiar little pout – the same pout he would wear when he wanted Lukas to buy him food from the cafeteria, or Arthur to help with his homework, or both of them to take part in his newest ridiculous idea. It’s an expression that’s always won them over – but this time, they can’t give him what he wants. His chest aches with affection and regret.

“We’ll call you,” he promises. “We’ll all call each other every single day, and we’ll text, and we can send each other letters like old people do. Being apart doesn’t mean we can’t be there for each other.”

“Letters aren't just for old people,” Arthur grumbles. “But yes, let's do that.”

Vlad sniffles and sits upright, eyes watery but determined, and shoves out his hand. “Promise? Pinky swear you won't forget me.”

“We could never forget you, Vlad,” Lukas assures him, intertwining their fingers. “You've left us with far too much trauma for that.”

“Good, because I’m never leaving you. Even if I die, I’ll become a ghost and float into your bedroom at night and scream, and I'll haunt you for the rest of your life.”

“You already do haunt us,” Arthur mutters, but there’s no bite to his tone.

Vlad grins. “You love me.”

Arthur tuts, makes a noise somewhere between a sob and a laugh – then, suddenly, he flings an arm around each of their shoulders and pulls them into a fierce embrace. He says nothing, but the action speaks louder than any words, and even though Lukas is slightly suffocated by his grip, he closes his eyes and savours it. After tonight, they won’t have the chance to do this for a long time.

“I can’t breathe!” Vlad squawks, wheezing dramatically, and Arthur finally relents. He releases them, swipes at his eyes again, then huffs a sudden laugh. Lukas glances at him, surprised.

“What in god’s name are we doing?” Arthur says. “It’s the middle of the night, why are we moping on the wet grass in pitch darkness wearing just our pyjamas? It’s bloody freezing! Are we mental or what?”

“Are you only just realising that?” Vlad shivers, and Lukas feels him press closer for warmth. “Maybe we should all huddle together like penguins so we don’t get hypothermia.”

“Or we could just go back to the van,” Lukas suggests, rolling his eyes at Arthur over the top of Vlad’s head. “It’s late, and we need energy to drive in the morning.”

Reluctantly, Arthur eases himself to his feet with a groan. “Who’s driving first tomorrow?”

“You are,” Vlad says. “I drove almost all day today, and Lukas won’t be able to function until we’ve been to a rest stop for coffee.” He glances at Lukas as if expecting him to protest, but Lukas shrugs. He’d given up denying his addiction long ago. “Help me up, I’m cold and lazy.”

With an exaggerated sigh, Arthur extends a hand and pulls Vlad to his feet, then reaches down again for Lukas. Lukas takes his hand, steady in the chill of the night, and allows himself to tugged upright. Now he thinks about it, he _is_ cold, and exhaustion has begun to wash over him. Suddenly, the cramped heat of the van seems very appealing. 

They stumble back towards the van, sleepy and shivering. Lukas wraps an arm around Vlad’s shoulders as they walk, feels the warmth of him through the fabric of his shirt, solid and present and real. Soon they’re going to be apart, and their new memories will be scattered across oceans and cities, beamed through satellites and pixelated screens, stamped on envelope corners…

And, he thinks, that might just be okay.

“Where are we going next?” Arthur asks as they approach the dimmed headlights. “We’ve only planned this far.”

Lukas looks at them both in the glow of the streetlamp: Arthur, all shyness and wit and soul-deep kindness, and Vlad – chaotic, brilliant Vlad – bursting with ideas and life. He loves them, he realises, in the purest sense of the word. These are the people he has shared his life with, who know him better than anyone else; there are pieces of one another in each of them, and he knows that no matter how far they go, their lives will always be inextricably connected.

“I don't know, and I don't care. Let's just see where the road takes us.”

Arthur blinks at him. “Are you sure? We might get lost.”

They're not children anymore. The sudden weight of the future seems insurmountable, like they're alone on the ocean with no compass, praying the sails will carry them to land – but, like everything else they’ve lived through together, they're going to be fine. Lukas will make sure of it.  
  
“I'm sure,” he says, and smiles. “No matter where we end up, we'll figure it out somehow.”


End file.
